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JVP, FSP ask govt., to reveal identities of men in uniform with iron rods at IUSF protest

Published

3 years ago

2023/03/17

Thilina Walpola

House Committee to take up issue next week

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Over a week after the Opposition accused the government of deploying troops armed with wooden poles and iron bars at a protest launched by Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) in Colombo on March 07, Army headquarters said that the contingent of men in question had not been identified.

Military Spokesman Brig. Ravi Herath insisted that those men in photographs released to the media and in video footage were certainly not army personnel.The IUSF is affiliated to the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), a breakaway faction of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).

Asked how a contingent of men in uniform positioned so close to the police tasked to crackdown on protesting IUSF activists, the Military Spokesman claimed troops deployed in support of law enforcement authorities were about 500 metres away.

“Those in disputed video footage and still pictures are definitely not army personnel,” Brig. Herath said. The Signals officer received appointment as the military spokesman in early October last year after the change of government.

Pointing out that JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake had released those controversial pictures to the media, The Island asked whether the Army headquarters would lodge a complaint with the police with the objective of establishing the identity of the contingent and the authenticity of the photographs. While ruling out the possibility of the army lodging a complaint, Brig. Herath said the issue was being handled by the police.

State Defence Minister Prameetha Bandara Tennakoon, too, told The Island those who had been pictured carrying wooden poles were yet to be identified. He said that a statement on the issue would be issued soon.

The Island raised the issue with Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security. He said that he would take up the issue at the next committee meeting on Tuesday (21).

FSP spokesperson Pubudu Jagoda said that the government was now trapped in its own lies. Having cleared the Army of deploying troops armed with poles and clubs, the government spokespersons had no option but to propagate more lies, Jagoda, who is also FSP’s Education Secretary said.

However, due to the timely exposure of what he called illegal deployment, the defence top brass would have to be mindful of such actions, Jagoda said. The former JVPer found fault with the media for not vigorously pursuing this issue.

“The police are selectively efficient. Take the recent case of a young couple leaving their newborn in a train at the Fort Railway station. They were taken in within 24 hours and Police headquarters ordered an investigation into the conduct of those who arrested them. But the same efficiency is missing in the case of the contingent of ghost soldiers,” Jagoda said.

Responding to queries, Jagoda said that the government couldn’t discourage them by such tactics.

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told The Island that there couldn’t be any issue with regard to the credibility of evidence before the police. “Both print and electronic media reported this. Social media, too, covered the presence of armed men at IUSF protest,” lawmaker Dissanayake said, urging the government to admit its operation went awry.Dissanayake said that if anyone believed they were fake pictures, the police could question him.

Dissanayake said that those pictures were displayed at a press conference called by the JVP as he didn’t have any doubt about the identity of the contingent in question. “We’ll go flat out on this issue,” Dissanayake said, adding that the government should explain the circumstances troops moved in, in the absence of a declaration of an emergency.

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Advisory for Heavy Rain issued for the Central, Uva, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern and North-central provinces and in Galle and Matara districts

Published

3 hours ago

2026/02/22

Priyan

Advisory for Heavy Rain Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 08.30 a.m. on 22 February 2026 valid for the period until 08.30 a.m. 23 February 2026

Due to the influence of the low level atmospheric disturbance in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in Central, Uva, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern and North-central provinces and in Galle and Matara districts.

Therefore, general public is advised to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by heavy rain, strong winds and lightning during thundershowers

News

Matara Festival for the Arts’ inaugurated by the Prime Minister

Published

9 hours ago

2026/02/22

Priyan

The inaugural ceremony of the Matara Festival for the Arts, featuring a wide range of creations by local and international artists, was held on February 19 at the Old High Court premises of the Matara Fort, under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

The festival, centred around the Old High Court premises in Matara and the auditorium of the Matara District Secretariat, will be open to the public from 20 to 23 of February. The festival will be featured by visual art exhibitions, short film screenings, Kala Pola, and a series of workshops conducted by experts.

The inaugural event was attended by the Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Ms. Saroja Paulraj, along with artists, guests, and a large number of schoolchildren.

(Prime Minister’s Media Division)

News

Only single MP refuses salary as Parliament details pays and allowances

Published

13 hours ago

2026/02/22

Thilina Walpola

SJB Badulla District MP Nayana Wasalathilake is the only MP to forego salary and allowances, with all payments suspended following his written notification on August 20, 2025.

Only one Member of Parliament has chosen not to receive the salaries and allowances entitled to MPs, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya revealed in Parliament last Thursday, shedding light on the financial perks enjoyed by members of the Tenth Parliament.

Speaking on Thursday (Feb. 19) in response to a question from SJB Badulla District MP Chaminda Wijesiri, the Prime Minister outlined the full range of pay and allowances provided to parliamentarians.

According to Dr. Amarasuriya, MPs receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 54,285, an entertainment allowance of Rs. 1,000, and a driver’s allowance of Rs. 3,500—though MPs provided with a driver through the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs are not eligible for the driver’s allowance.

Additional benefits include a telephone allowance of Rs. 50,000, a transport allowance of Rs. 15,000, and an office allowance of Rs. 100,000. MPs are also paid a daily sitting allowance of Rs. 2,500 for attending parliamentary sessions, with an additional Rs. 2,500 per day for participation in parliamentary sittings and Rs. 2,500 per day as a committee allowance.

Committee meetings held on non-parliament sitting days also attract Rs. 2,500 per day.

Fuel allowances are provided based on the distance between an MP’s electoral district and Parliament. National List MPs are entitled to a monthly allocation equivalent to 419.76 litres of diesel at the market price on the first day of each month.

Despite the comprehensive benefits, only SJB Badulla District MP Nayana Wasalathilaka has opted not to draw a salary or allowances. Dr. Amarasuriya said that in accordance with a written notification submitted by MP Wasalathilaka on August 20, 2025, payments have been suspended since that date.

The Prime Minister also confirmed that she, along with the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, committee chairs, ministers, deputy ministers, the Opposition Leader, and senior opposition whips, have all informed the Secretary-General of Parliament in writing that they will not claim the fuel allowance.

Challenging the ruling party’s voluntary pledge to forgo salaries, MP Wijesiri pointed out that all MPs except Wasalathilaka continue to receive their salaries and allowances. “On one hand you speak about the people’s mandate, which is good. But the mandate also included people who said they would voluntarily serve in this Parliament without salaries. Today we have been able to prove, Hon. Speaker, that except for one SJB MP, the other 224 Members are drawing parliamentary salaries,” he said.

The Prime Minister responded by defending the political culture and practice of allocating portions of MPs’ salaries to party funds. Referring to previous practices by the JVP and NPP, she said: “It is no secret to the country that the JVP has for a long time not personally taken MPs’ salaries or any allowances. I think the entire country knows that these go to a party fund. That is not new, nor is it something special to mention. The NPP operates in the same way. That too is not new; it is the culture of our political movement.”

When MP Wijesiri posed a supplementary question asking whether diverting salaries to party funds was an indirect method of taking care of MPs, Dr. Amarasuriya said: “There is no issue there. No question was raised; the Member made a statement. What we have seen throughout this week is an inability to understand our political culture and practice, and a clash with decisions taken by political movements that misused public funds. What is coming out is a certain mindset. That is why there is such an effort to find fault with the 159. None of these facts are new to people. He did not ask a question, so I have nothing to answer.”

The disclosures come days after the Government moved to abolish the parliamentary pension, a measure that has sparked renewed debate over MP compensation and the transparency of funds allocation.